Last weekend at Eurovision in Concert he reminded the Eurovision fandom just how good he is live as he performed “Outlaw In ‘Em” — the country-rock number he’ll sing for The Netherlands.
And on Wednesday Waylon kept the momentum going with the release of his official music video for the song, which once again shows the Dutch star doing things his way.
The video starts with Waylon wearing all black and driving into a one-horse town on his motorcycle. He starts rebelling early by lighting a cigarette inside of a church, much to the consternation of the presiding priest. Waylon exits and drives through some stunning vistas of the American West, all interspersed with images of other “rebels” — a loose term for people doing things on their terms or shaking up expectations. We see a priest hanging himself, black and white images of gangsters that nod to Bonnie & Clyde, and Native Americans, who bravely fought against American settlers who ultimately seized their lands.
Waylon’s video comes just days after Eurovision in Concert, where, besides singing for the crowd, he also met with wiwiblogger William.
So how does a Dutchie become a prominent country music singer?
“I was six years old and I started playing drums, and I couldn’t play a lick. Pop music was very difficult to play with. I’m not the kind of guy that has the discipline to go to lessons. I just want to play. I got introduced to country music…It had three chords. Simple melodies. It was about the truth. It was easy to play drums with that music. It allowed me to develop my skills.”
For years the Dutch media and Eurovision fans have dissected his musical breakup with Ilse DeLange, the woman with whom he placed second at Eurovision 2014.
He has a witty response when asked if Eurovision will be easier without her: “Right now it’s a good thing because she probably doesn’t know the song!”
But, in all seriousness, he doesn’t seem to have any hard feelings — or is at least very diplomatic.
“2014 was a great year. It was a beautiful achievement and after that we both went our separate ways because we couldn’t agree on a lot of things, which is OK.”
“I always said I would love to — even before 2014 — love to go to Eurovision. Because it’s one of the biggest stages in the world for an artist. If you are who you are and don’t give in to all the craziness that surrounds this and don’t go searching for the perfect Eurovision song, I think you might do pretty good. That’s what we proved in 2014.”
Ultimately though Eurovision isn’t about coming home with a trophy.
“Nobody knows if you’re going to win this contest and it’s not about winning. Winning is more for the country. It [would be] great to have Eurovision in the Netherlands next year — that would be awesome. For me as an artist, I like the fact I can bring my own music and the music I grew up with, and music that not a lot of people in Europe know about, to be an ambassador for that kind of music and breathe some new life into Eurovision.”
So who is the outlaw in him?
“I’m all out law. I like to do things my way. I’ve always been outside the written laws — not the laws, police and that kind of stuff, but the laws of making music. Everybody gives in to making a career. But if you don’t really care about your career you start to care about other stuff. I care about my career in that way — it’s important to keep it with music. I want to make the music I love.”
Do you think Waylon is as charming as we do? Are you loving that country twang? Let us know in the comments box below!
Step by step the Netherlands come closer to the top 10 and I would not be surprised they do it again like with the common linnets.. Music jury will judge this quality and performance, now the eurovision audience!~ TOP 3!
Great country rock video clip showing the raw edged rock song and the common linnets HAT in a perfect atmosphere. Looking for a great final stage set up with clip elements and super performance. You will HIT IT! 12 points!
My winner
When last I evaluated his entry, he was in my top 5. Now that we have a music video to replace the videoclip of his introduction of the song, he is likely to stay there. This song is an extremely dangerous contender; and I, too, wouldn’t be surprised if, on Sunday, May 13, Amsterdam or Rotterdam were beginning the early stages of preparing to host Eurovision 2019.
lol dont try to make NL happen, it won’t. It’s too dated to win guys.
A true heavyweight, he has the potential to win the whole damn thing. The Netherlands are certainly are in it to win it this year. At this precise moment he is so underrated, i am so sure he is saving something special for the live shows, I believe he will impress with his performance. With the release of the new album “The World Can Wait” last week and music video for “Outlaw In Em” this week #teamWaylon are slowly building up momentum before Lisbon. The new video captures the mood and interpret the theme of the song really well. At… Read more »
Yep. 🙂 I feel like Waylon and AWS are probably currently the biggest dark horses rn
When you’re the only one in your genre (especially in such a specific genre like country or metal), that AUTOMATICALLY gives you some power
?his is such an embarassing video…It simply flirts with ridicule.
Dear Pagane, – Waylon might not be like Salvador perhaps but he embraces his appeal for more music that is about feelings at ESC. If you don’t like a song it doesn’t mean it can’t embrace Salvador’s wish… – A more cold self-absorbed artist at ESC? What about Dima Bilan who even managed to win…or Sylvia Knight who got boooed for it during her performance. I won’t see that happening with Waylon. – The Dutch HoD who said he is the only authentic act this year? You could use that against him or you could see it as an HoD… Read more »
WOW! That’s a bit of a something we got here. I’m really struggling to find the proper words to describe this but I think the best phrasing would be: “Cringe Fest meets “manufactured authenticity” at the Eurovision 2018″. I prefer listening to the song but not witnessing a live performance. There is something demonically offputting about Waylon. He just looks creepy and narcissistic. When I watched his performance from the national selection I had the weird feeling of being invited into a freezer :O rather than enjoying the mood of the song. It was interesting to observe the audience who… Read more »
Oh, I forgot about the Salvador Sobral 2.0 perception of him by some fans. Are u really this much, people? Oh my goodness! He comes NOWHERE close to Salvador’s loveliness and warmth, his skillful artistry and unquestionable charisma!!!!!! I’m pretty amused by the fact that Waylon plays the authenticity card of something he has copied all his life, pfffff. Unlike Salvador who represents the best of Portuguese music scene, Waylon has no thematic connections with the Netherlands and Dutch culture at all. He looks out of place and he knows it. Even the Bulgarian “common framework” has more local authenticity… Read more »
Okay, you dislike Waylon intensely, we get it. That’s ok, you can’t please everyone. But where do you see him copying Salvador’s campaign? He literally doesn’t give a sh.t about what anyone else is doing, you even hint at that yourself 🙂 Not to mention that he grew up with country music, actually lived with his mentor and idol Waylon Jennings and got addicted to coke when his idol died, lived in the back of a van when he broke through on a talent show, and probably has more artistic integrity than 50% of the American country scene. Even if… Read more »
That’s a great hypocritical last line for your enormous rant that you don’t buy his authenticity. You struggle to find words how to describe your feelings, and then you come up with this? How well did you do your research on him? Because you probably missed his last single he dropped before Outlaw in Em: the popballad ‘Mis je zo graag’, completely in Dutch lyrics. 2.4 million views on Youtube. Pretty reasonable achievement for someone with ‘no connection to Dutch music genres at all’. As for his authenticity: this is Waylon performing as a kid. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTxzLl9ptJ8 Now tell me his… Read more »
in comparison to salvador’s song, Outlaw is at least exciting and fun
i think we can compare Waylon more to Alex Florea a bit
We shouldn’t compare any artist to anybody, just vote for the one you like the most
i loved his impersonation of Netta last night on one of our dutch talk shows
this music video looks so cool, very usa country 🙂
top 5 for Netherlands for sure this year
Nicky please stop it
no i have every right to support my own country 🙂
Then keep on supporting him. I bet we will see your hate against him in an hour or so?
nope, i am dutch and i am proud of us going for a american theme for eurovision this year
The song is really growing on me. I hope he will have a great stageshow.
Yeah, unfortunately that specific snake is part of the lyrics. “Diamondback rattle with a quick-strike venom” is a direct reference to a breed of vipers in the American southwest known as Diamondback Rattlesnakes. They have deadly venom-injecting fangs, a distinctive warning pattern of diamonds down their spines, and an equally-distinctive “rattle” of dead shed-scales on their tails that they shake whenever something threatening gets too close for the snake’s comfort. The point of all that is to look (and sound) as intimidating as possible, so that other predators keep themselves well away and leave the snake to its business …… Read more »
This year’s field is just so Wide Open. So many good exemplars of extremely diverse genres and genre-fusions. The Finals are going to be flipping AMAZING
How does he know the key to Eurovision success if he hasn’t had any yet?
“Hasn’t had any yet” … right. Sure.
Dude got SECOND as a complete unknown, and plenty of people actively preferred him and Ilsa to the actual winner. He’s already had more Eurovision success than 95% of this year’s crop will ever know.
He sold more than 700.000 albums that year as he said himself so sure that’s no success indeed lmao. Don’t think Conchita did that
SO UNIQUE,TIMELESS ENTRY.. DIFFERENT SONG AND ARTIST !!!
HE WILL BLOW EVERYTHING AWAY IN LISBON !!
IF HE WAS 2ND WITH THE ”COMMON LINNETS”…
WITH THIS SONG.. HE IS IN TO WIN IT ALL I BELIEVE !!!!!!
BEST OF LUCK NETHERLANDS..U DESERVE IT..IN MY TOP 2..!!!
I’ m at the begining, that’s ok. So he is outlow, fine by me, coudn’t be happier, in fact! But to choose such an american entry?! Not just american but deep South, Nashville, country, Trump’s land, gun aficionados, everything I abhore?! I don’t care how he sings, what he sings , it’s country music and i hate it! Is it ironical? Meta? I have no clue ! If there is. a God, and if he is of european origin I just hope this will rot in semis. Hate me all you want, I just don’t care!
If Sweden, for goodness sake, Czech Republic, Bulgaria, Austria or Cyprus are sounding too american, you dont hear a wolf cry!! They all sing in galore that they are awesome and the Slay!! And with this entry everybody seems having a pick on that !!?? Amazing
Great. You could very probably win the prize for the most stupid, senseless comment ever. So music is good or bad, lovely or hateful, depending on its origin? Wow, you really understand the spirit of music, unity and diversity that the ESC is supposed to represent! Happily, geniuses like you are a minority!
On a first listen this was super cringy to me – from the fact that he is Dutch trying to be a cowboy to really cliche country lyrics. But after finding out that this genre has been with him ever since early childhood totally flips the perspective and makes you appreciate it much more. The title and the concept are really cool, and I guess it’s fine for introducing this type of music to Europe, hopefully people won’t perceive it as some European trying too hard with the whole American shtick. And you can’t say the same about the pop… Read more »
I would argue that there’s 2 kinds of “country” in the US. The Deep South and the Wild West. Waylon is clearly going for a cowboy, wild west, outlaw country sound. The Deep South is “Trump Country” and the things you mentioned that nobody likes, but the Wild West is the desert, snakes, saloons, stallions, and the cool parts of “country”
Yeah. Specifically, he’s doing an homage and love letter to Waylon Jennings, the founder of Outlaw Country (even going so far as to take on the man’s first name as his own stage name). That specific country movement is a lot more “Western loners”, tying in people like Willie Nelson and Johnny Cash.
I don’t hate you. I pity you for thinking that this public display of self-righteous, willfully-ignorant bigotry was going to look good.
You’re better than this behavior.
It is not personal. In each semi 8 worthy entries will stay, and i’d rather see him stay because country is my least favourite genre, it stands for things I dislike and I do not think it is appropiate for Eurovision. Is it ok now?
The Outlaws are The Dark Horse this year!!! YAH
Too American, to do well in ESC i believe.
So was his Common Linnets song, and so was Douwe Bob’s song; and they did quite well.
Waylon: A true artist who knows what he is doing, very professional, will do a lot better than many people believe now, Dark horse….
Love it am so happy his doing things his way and not trying to fit in.